Napyidaw

Events of Thursday 21st February 2013

At 8.0 a.m. I was collected by a charming young lady guide from Yangon called Miss Khin Khin Chaw with a driver and Toyota 'Hiace'. They'd driven from Yangon to Mandalay the previous day to meet me. That journey takes over 8 hours. On the Thursday, we were only going as far as Napyidaw (about 5 hours driving) and we would overnight there. The highway from Yangon to Mandalay has only been open a few years. It's dual carriageway with at least two lanes each way and broad verges (except where the highway passes over bridges). The road's most impressive feature is how little traffic there is.

The uncrowded highway from Mandalay to Napyidaw.

I'd planned to visit Paleik station on the double-track main line from Mandalay to Yangon and so we turned off the highway and were immediately on country roads where the tarmac strip is only wide enough for one vehicle so that passing vehicles each have to drive with one wheel on the verge. We passed through a village with simple bamboo houses very similar to the one I visited in Nga-Minn-May a few days earlier.

Rural life on the way to Paleik.

Leaving the village, we were plunged back into open country. Just as I was starting to despair, we came to a small town and found the station. I gathered what information I could and we waited while a mixed train from Mandalay passed without stopping.

A southbound train passes through Paleik.

Our driver retraced our route to get back to the highway and we continued south. We carried on to the 'Rest Stop' about halfway to Napyidaw. This had a large cafe area and I realised it was designed to handle the sudden influx of people when a number of long-distance buses stopped.

The Rest Stop en route to Napyidaw.

We carried on to the junction for Napyidaw and joined a short length of highway which passed a Toll Station and then led us through a residential zone of Napyidaw. The main roads were all dual carriageway, with at least four lanes in each direction but traffic was very sparse. Electric lighting was provided and all the verges were planted with trees and shrubs and well-tended.

Napyidaw: Four lanes each way, but little traffic.

New building was going on around us, particularly as we passed through the Hotel Zone (Napyidaw is a 'planned' new city built on a 'greenfield' location). My guide asked if I'd like to check into my hotel but I was anxious that we located the Railway Museum. Although my guide and driver seemed convinced there was such a museum, they didn't know where it was (it was my guide's first visit to the capital). I suggested enquiring at the main railway station, but they preferred to ask the groups of people relaxing on the verge near each road junction. This was not productive.

By then, we were driving through the government office area - the road we were on merely carried signs to the various ministries and landscaped side roads led to the actual buildings. There was a certain irony that the Ministry of Information had no idea about a railway museum but a second attempt at the Ministry of Rail Transportation apparently obtained some guidance. I was quite taken by a rather odd 3-aspect upper quadrant semaphore signal at the road junction and even more taken with the plinthed locomotive (a class 'ST' 2-6-4T) near the offices.

Class 'ST' 2-6-4T displayed at the Ministry of Rail Transportation.

The locomotive appeared to be festooned in chains of 'fairy lights' outlining the shape so I probably wouldn't have been quite so impressed if I'd seen it at night. The actual ministry building was a modest, modern office block - I'd expected something more flamboyant.

Leaving the Ministry, I knew our route was now taking us towards the railway line, so I was a little more hopeful. Once the double-track line was in sight, I spotted a semaphore distant signal which enabled me to confirm the direction to the nearest station. Unfortunately, my guide and driver were convinced that our route lay in the opposite direction. It was only after a mile or so of increasingly rural travel that they could be persuaded to turn around and retrace our steps. I was much happier as we approached a station but couldn't help pointing out that it seemed a very small, very rural station to host a museum. However, I was always happy to do a quick survey of another station so we crossed the tracks to the station buildings at Twa Daw, where my guide was assured by the stationmaster that the museum was located at the next station along - the main railway station for Napyidaw.

After another drive along the wide, virtually deserted roads we came to the huge, modern station of Napyidaw. The station and its ten platforms were certainly impressive but it was odd that there were no other buildings nearby, no sign of the city it served. It reminded me a little of all the 'Parkway' stations we now have in England, where the name is a warning that the place served is some distance away. It was also odd that, in the whole time we spent in the vicinity of the station, not a single wheel turned on the railway. There were coaches, diesel locomotives and railcars but all with an abandoned air, in stark contrast to the permanent bustle around Yangon Central station.

Napyidaw Station.

The guide enquired as to the exact location of the museum - it was another modern building about 100 yards from the station. Yes! It was clearly marked 'Myanma Railway Museum' and 'Inaugurated 4th January 2012'. It was also clearly closed.


Thwarted by a decorative security gate and padlock.

It was here that my guide showed her true colours. Bidding me wait, she and the driver disappeared towards the station. I reviewed what was outside. A wooden shelter housed a short length of track mounting a wagon wheelset and a coupled wheelset. Nearby there were three wheelsets with a ''cowcatcher' and chopper coupling mounted on an curious undulating length of 'track'. I could only assume this was 'Art' because, even in my rather jaundiced state of mind, I had to admit that this 'track' was worse than any of the permanent way I'd seen in Burma (and I'd seen some very poor track).

Burmese Art (?) with the rather grand museum building in the background.

A little way off, there was an example of topiary in the general shape of a locomotive. I decided it was a bit too hot to look at this just then. Further off, there was a plinthed locomotive which definitely deserved inspection, but I decided to keep this as my 'consolation prize' for failing to visit the museum. At that moment, my guide and driver returned with three people in tow. One was apparently the curator, and one had a key for the padlock. Success! There was quite a reasonable display of models and fairly small artefacts. Most had simple descriptions in English I spent around 40 minutes furiously trying to capture as much as possible for further study.

Then it was check on the topiary, record the rather handsome plinthed 'Pacific (not sure about the chimney extension, though) and I rejoined the car, totally exhausted, with a view to finding the hotel.

The plinthed, oil-burning 'Pacific' outside Napyidaw station.

Before we drove off, my guide innocently enquired "Don't you want to look at that?". I'd completely missed what's supposed to be the first steam locomotive in Burma - a 'Dubs' 2-4-0 tank with an odd smokebox extension displayed inside the main station building.

Locomotive A.01 - a 2-4-0T built by Dubs & Co. in Glasgow, put into service 1-May-1877. Weight: 17.65 tons. Tractive Effort: 3857 lbs.

Finally, having snatched a few pictures of the Dubs, we set off to find my hotel - the Aureum Palace Hotel. Having booked in at Reception, I was taken in an electric golf cart about 200 yards to a very decent semi-detached 'villa' overlooking an artificial, but attractive small lake. The lake had a fair population of geese.

My semidetached 'villa' at the Aureum Palace Hotel.

I wasn't quite finished for the day, because my guide had offered to return and take me to see the modern golden pagoda in Napyidaw and I'd agreed to be ready to go out again in a couple of hours.

My Pictures

Road from Mandalay to Napyidaw.
Paleik Station.
Around Napyidaw.
Twa Daw Station.
Napyidaw Station.
Myanma Railway Museum.
Aureum Palace Hotel, Naypyitaw.

[Revised 8th March 2013, 17-Mar-2013, 19-Mar-2013, 20-Mar-2013]

More Mandalay

Events of Wednesday 20th February, 2013

I'd arranged with my guide that we'd make one more excursion, travelling to the ever-beautiful Sagaing Hills. It's a trip I'd made before but I never tire of the area. However, we made a slight detour on the way, to look again at Ywa Taung station.

I'd first visited Ywa Taung in 2012 with Doctor Hla Tun as we returned from making a stationery donation at Taung Be Lar School. That earlier visit is described here. On my second visit to the station on 20th February 2013 I took additional photographs to clarify arrangements. My second visit coincided with seeing two trains! On our arrival, a local train to Mandalay was waiting in the platform loop. Most of the lines are single and the local was stopped for the Mandalay to Myitkyina express to pass. This important train included a restaurant coach. Once the express had passed, I could see the pointsman changing the points so that the stopping train could continue on to Mandalay.

The Mandalay - Myitkyina express passes Ywa Taung.

Then we took the winding road to the summit at Sagaing and the temple housing the most famous Buddha image. We spent some time on the promenade surrounding the temple which commands marvellous views in all directions. It was a little hazy, limiting how far we could see, but we could study the amazing number of pagodas, monasteries and other religious buildings and watch all the river activity in the Shwe Kyet Yet area.

Numerous pagodas dot the wooded hills of Sagaing.

Driving back to Mandalay City across the new road bridge, it was clear just how low the water was. The broad river had two small navigable channels, one adjacent to either river bank, and the rest was sandbanks.

We returned to the Sedona Hotel passing a very elaborate Noviciation Procession which included an elephant. It's quite expensive to arrange for an elephant, I was told, so this was a rich family. The actual Noviciation Ceremony would probably be held on the following day.

Just part of the extensive procession.

Safely back at the Sedona Hotel, it was time to say "goodbye" to my guide and driver. On the following day I was to meet a different guide and driver for the journey south.

Wednesday was the day that a new group of guests arrived for the 'Road to Mandalay'. They would have flown into Mandalay International Airport. In the past, I have poked fun of the fact that Mandalay International Airport had no scheduled International Flights (just the occasional charter flight). Perhaps it's an indication of the changes taking place in Burma that the budget airline AirAsia now has regular flights to Bangkok for 50 dollars. I'm told AirAsia will also introduce a direct service to Singapore shortly. At the airport 'Road to Mandalay' guests would have met their guides for the trip, boarded the waiting coaches and spent the morning touring Mandalay. The guests were to meet at the Sedona Hotel for a buffet lunch before joining their coaches once again for the drive by road to Myin Mu where their ship was waiting.

Doctor Hla Tun had told me that he was usually at the hotel for the buffet lunch, in case any of the guests required medical help. I waited outside as the various buses arrived and, of course, I knew many of the staff and guides looking after the newly-arrived guests.

'RTM' Guests arrive at the Sedona Hotel for a Buffet Lunch.

Doctor Hla Tun arrived a little later: he had been to purchase medicines for use on the ship. The Doctor and I talked for a while in the hotel lobby and then (having left word where he'd be, if required) we walked around the corner to the Shwe Pyi Moe Cafe where the Doctor ordered a simple Burmese meal, whilst I had a Coca-Cola.

The Shwe Pyi Moe Cafe.

When we arrived back at the hotel the last 'RTM' coach was just leaving. The Doctor quickly collected his medicines, said goodbye and joined the bus. Amongst the new Guests, there were two 'stragglers' who had somehow missed the coaches. They were eventually located by the member of 'RTM' staff who had remained behind with a car so disaster was averted.

The following day, I was to leave Mandalay and head south by car.

My Pictures

Ywa Taung Station.
Sagaing (2013).
Noviciation Procession in Mandalay.
'RTM' at the Sedona.

[Revised 8th March 2013]

Maymyo

Events of Tuesday 19th February, 2013

The tour company had proposed a full-day trip to Maymyo. That was agreed, with one change. I wanted to travel from Mandalay to Maymyo by train, returning by car. One problem was that the train was scheduled to leave at 4.00 a.m. Adding the 30 minutes 'reporting time', transfer by taxi to the station and getting ready, I set my alarm for 2.40 a.m. I was on the platform at Mandalay Central, under the bleak fluorescent lighting, about 3.20 a.m. There was plenty of freight piled on the platform, together with a number of porters who tried to sleep whilst waiting. There were about a dozen Europeans waiting and a number of Burmese. There was even a locomotive, sitting at the south end of the platform. All that was missing was coaches to form the train. It was about 6.00 a.m. when the station 'pilot' passed through the station heading north on another line hauling some coaches, returning a few minutes later propelling the coaches into our platform and onto the waiting locomotive. By the time the porters had dragged the freight into the two boxcars at the rear it was 6.17 a.m. when we departed.

There was plenty of freight piled on the platform to be loaded on the train.

The particular reason I had for wanting to make this journey is that the line beyond Sedaw uses a zig-zag arrangement where the train shuffles backwards and forwards between four 'Reversing Stations' in order to gain height before completing its journey to Maymyo.


The Zig-Zag railway in the line to Maymyo.

I arrived at Maymyo station tired but happy and over two hours late. Unfortunately, my guide and driver had also had a long wait before my train appeared.

Our train on arrival at Maymyo, now called Pyin Oo Lwin.

I had decided to visit the two nuns who run the Shwe Sin Minn girls' orphanage. I'd first visited the orphanage in November 2011 and that visit is described here. Largely because of the continuing unrest in Kachin State, the number of orphans they look after had increased from 300 to 500. More building work was in progress to accommodate the extra girls. The nuns made me welcome and said I should return each year. I took a few pictures during the visit and I've added them to the original collection here.


The two nuns who founded and run the girls' orphanage.

After visiting the girls'orphanage, we drove to Pwe Kauk Waterfalls, about 5 miles northest of the town, off the road to Hsipaw. The falls aren't that spectacular but, by the addition of paths and bridges, the wooded location has been turned into water gardens to appeal to the Burmese and I found it rather charming. There was a long row of stalls selling food and souvenirs but it was all so laid-back I wasn't offended at all. My driver and guide had lunch at one of the tea shops and I joined them for a Coca-Cola 'lookalike'. To my surprise, it tasted very good.

Pwe Kauk Waterfalls.

Close by, we went to the Aung Htu Kan Tha shrine. Although modern, it has an interesting story. In April 1997, a truck was carrying a consignment of large Buddhas to China. One of the Buddhas fell off the truck nearby and attempts to re-load it on the vehicle failed. The truck driver then recalled a dream from the previous night concerning a Buddha image which did not want to leave Myanmar! So the Buddha remained and a temple was erected to house it. The design of the building is reputedly based on that of the revered Ananda Temple in Bagan. At the time of my visit, the outside of the temple was being re-gilded, involving elaborate bamboo scaffolding and woven mats covering most of the exterior.


The Buddha which did not want to leave Myanmar at Aung Htu Kan Tha.

Returning to the town, my guide showed me Maymyo's Christian Cemetery, which looked rather neglected, I'm afraid. There was once a large English population in Maymyo since its elevation kept temperatures more comfortable for Europeans in Summer.

The entrance to Maymyo's neglected Christian Cemetery.

It took around two hours to return by car to my hotel in Mandalay, twice as fast as the train was supposed to be and three times as fast as the train that morning but I was still pleased that I'd made the uphill journey by train.

My pictures

By Train to Maymyo.
Shwe Sin Minn Girl's Orphanage, Maymyo.
Pwe Kauk Waterfalls.
Aung Htu Kan Tha Shrine.
Maymyo Christian Cemetery.

Myin Mu and Mon Ywa

Events of Monday 18th February, 2013

With a car, driver and guide at my disposal, I'd decided to try to meet up with the 'Road to Mandalay' ship at its temporary upstream limit of Myin Mu. The plan was then to go on from Myin Mu to the fairly large town of Mon Ywa before returning to my hotel in Mandalay.

Myin Mu is a fairly typical small town where a flattish stretch of riverbank behind a group of houses is used as a 'dock' where passengers can board the various river services and massive amounts of freight are interchanged between river craft and large lorries drawn up on the shore. We'd arrived before the 'Road to Mandalay' but the logistics manager, Mr. Soe Soe, and his team of ground staff were already hard at work making the site ready for the landing of the Guests. Because of the low water level, the 'Road to Mandalay' would moor mid-stream and a couple of ferry boats were on hand to bring people ashore to join the six or seven buses already lined-up which would be used for the Guests' activities that day.

Mr. Soe Soe invited me to join him for a drink in a typical tea shop, just across the road from the dock.

The Tea Shop in Myin Mu used by Mr. Soe Soe.

Whilst we were sitting and chatting, I was amazed when the Head Monk from the Bagan Monastery came in. Apparently, he had business to conduct in one of the Monasteries in Mandalay but it was a very unexpected reunion.

Soon, the 'Road to Mandalay' ship was sighted and she anchored midstream. The first of the two ferry boats moved out to pick up Guests and, in a short while, all the guests for the road trip had come ashore and been seated in the appropriate coach.

The first ferry boat transfers Guests from 'Road to Mandalay' to the shore at Myin Mu.

I was able to greet a number of old friends from the ship's hotel staff and the team of guides. Doctor Hla Tun came ashore for a while and we went to (another) tea shop for a drink and a chat.

Another Tea Shop in Myin Mu. The Tea Shop is a vital part of Burmese life.

However, there were guests still on the ship whom the Doctor needed to look after, so the Doctor and I said "goodbye". He returned to the ship using one of the ferry boats and I continued on to Mon Ywa with my driver and guide.

In the Po Khaung Hills, east of Mon Ywa, is the sprawling site of Bodhi Tataung, home to around 10,000 Buddha images. I wandered amongst the statues whilst my driver and guide took lunch.

Just a few of the Buddha images of Bodhi Tataung.

Then, we drove the short distance to the 90 metre reclining Buddha and 167 metre standing Buddha. You can climb up inside the standing Buddha - each floor forms an elaborately-decorated temple. I was a little disappointed that we could only get to the 10th floor as the higher floors had been temporarily closed for some reason.


The reclining and standing Buddhas.

If 10,000 Buddha images of Bodhi Tataung seems a lot, try half a million. We drove to the Thanboddhay Temple which was started in 1939 by a monk called Mo Hnyin Sayadaw. There are now well over 500,000 Buddhas decorating the building - mostly small, unpainted clay figures. My guide said that the Monk's aim was to allow even poor people to be able to donate a Buddha image to the temple.


Every surface within the temple is crammed with small Buddha images.

We then moved onto the town of Mon Ywa which my 'Lonely Planet' guide characterises as "a scrappy trade town of some 300,000 people". I didn't see anything to warrant disputing that opinion. Whilst photographing a lattice post semaphore signal on the railway, I saw a passenger train heading for Mandalay, having passed another passenger train heading in the opposite direction at the nearby station.

DD.957 hustles an ordinary train out of Mon Ywa, heading for Mandalay.

In the town centre, there's a suitably triumphant statue of General Aung San on horseback. He is considered the 'Father of Modern Burma' (see Wikipedia article). With nothing further to detain us, we started back towards Mandalay ourselves. We stopped for a few minutes at one village where I took some pictures and, by arrangement, paused at Myin Mu where I briefly saw Doctor Hla Tun. Then it was on to Mandalay, pausing only at the road toll stations. I needed to get to bed early as I had an early start the following day in order to catch the train to Maymyo.

My Pictures

Myin Mu, Burma.
Mon Ywa Buddhas.
Thanboddhay Paya, Mon Ywa.
Mon Ywa Station, Burma.
By road from Mon Ywa to Mandalay.

Mandalay

Events of Sunday 17th February, 2013

My guide and driver took me to Nyaung Oo airport for the short flight to Mandalay International Airport.

The modest check-in arrangements at Nyaung Oo Airport.

My guide checked in for me and said I should go through security to the Departure Hall. We said goodbye and, by that time, the door he'd indicated had been closed. Further down the building I found a similar door clearly marked 'Departures', so I went through into a crowded waiting area. It slowly dawned on me that the people around me were arriving and not departing. The lack of movement was because their bags had not been made available. Eventually, I made it to the aircraft and flew to Mandalay Airport safely.

Disembarking from the Embraer 190 at Mandalay International Airport.

I was met by a new guide, Ko Aung Khaing (the 'Ko' is an honorific) and a new driver. We drove to the city which sprawls in the unattractive way of most large cities. The population is thought to be around 1.2 million. Mandalay is redeemed by also having some fine historical sites, such as the moated Royal Palace.

I checked into the Sedona Hotel, where I'd stayed before as described here. This earlier visit was part of a Far East trip with posts given the label 'FE2'. As on my previous visit, the accommodation was spacious, the service excellent. Just as well, as I was booked in for four days, allowing some scope for various trips around the area.

My accommodation at the Sedona Hotel.

More later ...

My pictures

Nyaung Oo Airport.
Mandalay International Airport.
Sedona Hotel, Mandalay.


[Revised 6-Mar-2013]

The Pagodas of Bagan

Events of Saturday 16th February, 2013

Although I've visited Bagan a number of times, the impact of thousands of pagodas spread across the Plain of Bagan is undiminished.

So the short version of the 'events of today' is definitely "Jan looked at a load of old temples". I'll expand the post a little when I can.

The Pagodas of Old Bagan.
The Pagodas of Bagan.
More Temples of Bagan.

Nga-Minn-May and Chauk-Kan Schools

Events of Friday, 15th February 2013

Nga-Minn-May School

Distributing stationery in February 2013 at Na-Minn-May.

I had visited Nga-Minn-May once before in September 2012. That visit is described here.

The roads we took were initially not bad but once we turned off the Mount Popa Road to take the long, sandy lane to the village of Nga-Minn-May, progress became more difficult. The weather had been extremely dry and the road had a lot of loose sand. The most common vehicle is the bullock cart and their narrow, widely-spaced wheels produce deep ruts in the surface. Motor bicycles can normally negotiate these ruts but it is problematic for 4-wheel cars like our Toyota.

Nga-Minn-May is a substantial village with around 370 houses and a population of around 1800. We arrived safely and parked in the shade of a large tree, as on the previous occasion. We could hear the excited chatter of children from the schoolrooms as the sacks of exercise books and boxes of pencils, rulers and erasers were unloaded.

Doctor Hla Tun took me into each classroom in turn in the large classroom block re-furbished by the village people with support from the RTM Social Contribution.

In 2012 a donation from RTM Social Contribution helped pay for a large brick and cement water tank next to the refurbished school building. The tank was covered by a corrugated steel roof supported on wooden framing to reduce contamination and evaporation losses. High-capacity aluminium guttering fitted along the verandah collected rain water and a substantial plastic pipe delivered the collected water to the tank. I presumed there were, as in other places, a series of outlets controlled by cocks but that area had been covered by a protective box, secured in place by a padlock. One of the village men experimented with keys for a time so that I could look at the arrangement but, after a few unsuccessful attempts, we moved on to spare him embarrassment.

There remained one school building in use which, although having a reasonable wooden frame, had only woven wall panels. Doctor Hla Tun had agreed to fund the work to replace the woven wall panels with more durable brick and cement, just as had been done on the other, larger building. Because the villagers agreed to do most of the work themselves, the cost of this refurbishment is mainly the cost of materials.

By the time the tour had finished, the stationery had been unpacked and sorted into sets - normally two exercise books and two pencils per pupil, from youngest to oldest. All the children now lined up and Jan and the Doctor presented the stationery, enthusiastically supported by my Guide and Driver.

A table and chairs had been set up under the large tree near where our car was parked and we were invited to eat before we left. The Burmese take hospitality very seriously.

Pictures of the visit are here.

A typical house in Nga-Minn-May village.

I'd expressed interest in seeing one of the typical village houses and we visited a small compound where one family were happy for me to look around at their house, their cowshed and the different methods used for roofing. The Toddy Palms grow in this area and the village was surrounded by fields dotted with these trees. The lower branches of these trees are cut-off and used to form the substantial palisade fences around each compound. More pictures.

As we drove away from the village, we passed one of the teachers walking towards the main road and we gave her a lift to the junction. This girl lives in Nyaung Oo so that she can look after her elderly parents. To reach the school each school day, it takes 45 minutes to one hour on a bus from Nyaung Loo followed by a walk of around 45 minutes along the sandy track we'd used to get to the school. Then, after school, she reverses the process to get home. You cannot fail to admire the quiet determination of these people.

Chauk-Kan School

We travelled along the main road for a short while and then turned onto a sandy track which was even longer, even more rutted and with more loose sand than the track we'd used to reach Nga-Minn-May. This was the way to Chauk-Kan. I'm afraid that, at one point, we got bogged-down in the sand but the Doctor, Guide and a villager who appeared quickly had us moving again.

We found all the pupils in the assembly hall, waiting for the start of the schoolo concert.

Road to Mandalay Social Contribution had previously built a new school room here. There's a report on this building and on the official opening here. My own first visit was in September 2011. In February 2013, we had refreshments on the Staff Room, followed by a splendid concert and then, finally, we made the presentation of stationery to all the pupils. Pictures taken on our visit are here.

Revised 20th February 2013

Bagan

Events of Friday 15th February, 2013

I slept well at the Park Royal, but not for too long. I decided to get up and use the excellent response of the internet to upload some of the backlog of pictures. I had a shower, completed my re-packing (always a major problem) and was in reception in good time to meet my guide. It was too early to have the hotel's breakfast but they gave me a 'breakfast box' to take away with me.

We had the same driver but a larger 'people mover'. We made excellent time to the airport, arriving about 6.20 just as it was growing light. After checking in and passing through an X-ray (my hand luggage) and a metal detector (me), I found myself in the crowded departures hall. Three or four flights left before my Myanma Airways flight (yes, they spell 'Myanma' without the 'r').

The Domestic Departures Hall at Yangon Airport.

As usual, first we were ushered onto a bus which transferred us across the apron to our waiting aircraft. It wasn't the expected Advanced Turbo Prop but a 2-engined jet. I flew with Air Bagan once on one of their two 'Fokker 100' (people were killed a short while ago when one of these crashed. I could see the aircraft I was boarding wasn't a 'Fokker' but I couldn't see what it was until I was seated and checked the safety instructions. It was a Brazilian 'Embraer 190', described in a Wikipedia article here. It looked quite nice but I checked the evacuation drill carefully, particularly as I (and the Guy next to me) were next to an Emergency Exit. I thought perhaps they didn't observe the rule about not putting the aged and infirm (or just unwilling) next to emergency doors but shortly the stewardess came along and explained the position succinctly. I had no doubt that in a life-threatening situation, I'd be equal to the task.

Slowly, we taxied to the very end of the runway. "Taking no chances" I thought. After a short power check, the take-off roll started. The acceleration was impressive and we had used less than one third of the runway length when we became airborne and started our climb at an equally impressive rate. The aircraft took us to Nyaung Oo in fine style whilst the friendly cabin staff issued breakfast boxes and a choice of drinks.

There's not much automation at Nyaung Oo airport.

On landing, I met my guide and we chatted whilst waiting for the checked bag. This took so long, we went to the car and deposited my hand baggage, returning to the baggage hall just as my bag arrived. Many of the other passengers were still awaiting bags as we set off from the airport towards my hotel in Old Bagan - the Aye Yar River View Resort. I was startled at the number of foreign tourists around - there seemed to be more than on any of my previous visits to Bagan.

Near Taung Bi village, there was serious road congestion around a procession with a carnival atmosphere. Of course, all the tourists had stopped to take pictures and we joined them. It was only in September of the previous year that I'd seen my first Noviciation Ceremony which I talked about in my post Monastic Noviciation Ceremony at Moe Dar and now I'd seen another Noviciation Procession.

Part of the Nioviciation Procession.

We decided to call in at the Bagan Medical Clinic before going to my hotel. The clinic was quieter than I'd seen previously - there were 'only' around 100 patients waiting! The staff confirmed that Doctor Hla Tun had not yet arrived but was expected and they passed a message to the ship moored on the river below us to say that I'd arrived. We walked to the 'Road to Mandalay' landing steps to meet the Doctor but he appeared behind us - appararently has had a 'back way' up the river bank directly to the clinic. We greeted one another warmly and I later realised that our meeting was at almost exactly the place where we had first met (when I suffered the indignity of falling off a bicycle) almost five years earlier and described here.

Doctor Hla Tun at the Bagan Medical Clinic.

The Doctor had, apparently, made plans for us to visit one or two of the schools supported by the RTM Social Contribution. He just had to see some patients who had travelled long distances and then we could depart - 15 minutes he said. Nobody was surprised when he had not emerged after about three quarters of an hour. It's always interesting watching the life of the Clinic, the activity of the pressured clinic assistants contrasting with the quiet stoicism of the waiting patients. The Young Monk who had done so much for the Clinic disappeared on the pillion of a motor cycle on some errand elsewhere. The monk I've titled the Calling Monk would periodically break the stillness with an announcement over the loudspeaker system, tucking the radio microphone into the waistband of his robe when he'd finished. One of the doctors arrived on a motor cycle and immediately went into the clinic to start seeing patients.

We sent a message to Doctor Hla Tun to say I would check-in at my hotel and then return, allowing him to continue his work without being distracted. Then, we took the car and negotiated a dirt road connecting the clinic to the Aye Yar River View Resort.

The rather grand entrance to the Aye Yar River View Resort.

I was given a Welcome Drink and a Guest Registration Form to sign and told there would be about 30 minutes delay before my room was available so I set down in the reception area and started to work on my notebook computer. The Wi-Fi connected me to the internet, to my delight. Eventually, my guide asked if I was aware my room was now ready. "No", I replied, "Nobody said anything". A porter showed me to my room, 718. This involved quite a lengthy walk across manicured lawns past a number of resort-style blocks of guest rooms. We were heading towards the river and descending to reach the River View Wing - a series of 2-storey guest rooms laid out on the banks of the Irrawaddy and commanding good views of the activity. The actual waters edge was filled with a number of small boats together with 'Pandaw-style' larger boats, one of which seemed to be embarking its tourist passengers.

The view of the busy river bank from my room at the Aye Yar River View Resort.

The accommodation was spacious and attractive and I knew I'd be comfortable there. I stopped for a quick wash then simplified the contents of my Burmese handbag before finding my way back to reception where my guide was waiting. We made the short journey back to the clinic and discovered that the Doctor was still engaged.

There are some procedures that Doctor Hla Tun carries out personally, such as the removal of fluid to relieve joint pain, so I was happy to wait. This gave me the opportunity to see free lunches being distributed to waiting patients. A table had been set up in the open near the clinic and a number of people were starting to 'dish-up' the steamed rice and boiled meat prepared by the monastery kitchen into metal bowls. It was the head monk himself who handed the food bowl to each recipient. Once the food had been eaten, the helpers had a fair amount of washing-up to carry out which they did cheerfully and quickly. The unused food was then carried back to the monastery itself.

At this point Doctor Hla Tun appeared and a plan started to emerge. We would drive the car which I was using the short distance to the monastery so that the stationery we would distribute in the afternoon could be loaded. Dr. Hla Tun would take lunch in the monastery and my guide, my driver and myself were invited to eat. I presumed that the monks had already eaten because we were alone in the fairly large refectory building where we sat on the floor as monastery helpers brought a range of foods set in front of us. Despite encouragement, I didn't experiment but the steamed rice and chicken I had were excellent. The head monk came and sat beside me and encouraged me to take more food. Although he had no English, we exchanged smiles as I admitted that I can no longer squat properly because of the arthritis in my knees, since the elderly head monk also has problems with his knees. A young man and woman wandered in with their guide - Rollo from Mexico and Veronica from Cuba. The head monk immediately invited them to take food with us, but I think they were a little embarrassed to have interrupted our meal. I was able to chat with them for a few minutes before they left. When everyone had finished, we made our way back to the car and, with Dr. Hla Tun beside me in the rear of the car, we took the now-familiar road to Nyaung Oo and then the road towards Mount Popa. Our first destination was to be Nga-Minn-May.

My Pictures

Park Royal Hotel, Yangon.
Yangon Airport.
Nyaung Oo Airport.
Noviciation Procession, Bagan.
Bagan Medical Clinic (2013).
Aye Yar River Resort, Bagan.

[Additions 16-Feb-2013, 5-Mar-2013]

On to Yangon

Events of Thursday 14th February 2013

 I managed about three hours good sleep at the Novotel Bangkok and decided I might as well start getting ready. My computer found the hotel’s Wi-Fi system but I declined to pay the 150 Baht for one hour asked for. Back in the lobby, there was a large restaurant with a wide range of foods set up buffet style. There were quite a few diners, but no sign of any staff. I had a very simple breakfast and, whilst examining the items on offer, spotted a single member of hotel staff in a darkened corner apparently doing paperwork. Most curious. Checkout was very quick because my booking had been prepaid. Outside the hotel I was directed to one of the hotel’s Shuttle Buses. After a short time, another five people joined the bus and we were taken to the airport.

I’d been issued with my boarding pass for the TG303 from Bangkok to Yangon on departure from Perth, so it only remained for me to pass through security and immigration and wait. I'm not good at waiting but, eventually, boarding time arrived and we made our way to another 'Airbus' A330 for the short flight to Yangon.

The A330 which took me from Bangkok to Yangon.

On arrival at Yangon, immigration was quite fast, my case arrived and customs formalities comprised surrendering a filled-out customs form and having the big bag (but not hand luggage) X-rayed. I found the young lady from Sun Bird easily and she summoned the car. Then, it slightly unravelled as it took us 90 minutes to get to the city. They assumed the congestion was caused by the building of a flyover to reduce the congestion. In the lobby of the Park Royal Hotel, I was given all the paperwork for the next few days. The hotel regretted than my room would not be available for another hour. A pity but, even after our increased journey time, it was only 10.30 in the morning so I was not surprised. I left all my luggage with the hotel and, armed with a (traditional Burmese) bag and a camera, set off for Yangon Central Station.

The station was only about ten minutes walk from the hotel and I was familiar with the process for obtaining a one-dollar 'Foreigner Ticket'. There was one adventurous lady from New Jersey also travelling on the train. She was going to Insein to check-out the famous market. I'd decided to go five stations further, to see the junction station at Da Nyn Gone and the return by the same route to Yangon. So that's what I did. It turned out that the actual station at Da Nyn Gone had some fame as a low-price market for fresh foods and the station remained permanently busy with people coming and going and buying and selling.

The impromptu market on Da Nyn Gone station.

By the time I'd travelled back to Yangon Central station by train and walked to my hotel, I was hot and tired and glad to be able to relax in a decent room at the Park Royal Hotel. I was delighted to find that the internet was reliable and fast.

My room at the Park Royal Hotel.

In the evening, I had a simple early dinner in the restaurant, which was specially decorated for Valentine's Day. As I left the restaurant after my meal, I saw that lots of young couples had arrived for a 'special dinner'.

My pictures

Novotel, Bangkok Airport.
The Circle Line (2013).
Park Royal Hotel, Yangon

[Revised 5-Mar-2013]

Perth to Bangkok

Events of Wednesday 13th February 2013

The day started with the usual walk to the Dog Walking Area where the dogs of Williton (and their people) get together before the day gets insufferably hot. Although I’m usually fairly tolerant of heat, temperatures in the low forties Celsius were beginning to take their toll on me so most of the morning I was happy to alternate between trying to get packed and just sitting around.

Keith demonstrated his new ‘Tinkerbell’ locomotive operating on air. Keith’s modified design has a particularly neat arrangement of the Heywood motion.


'Tinkerbell' being operated on compressed air.

He also fetched out an ‘Oscillating Cylinder’ engine he built many years ago and demonstrated how powerful that can be when properly engineered. Keith had always been impressed with the simplicity of the ‘Oscillating Cylinder’ engine, where the piston rod is connected directly to the crank, causing the whole cylinder to swing to and fro. This movement is used to open and close the appropriate ports without the necessity for valve motion. There's a brief post on the oscillating cylinder engine here.


Keith's demonstration 'Oscillating Cylinder' engine.

On Keith’s last visit to England, we were able to look at Peak Rail’s turntable at Rowsley. This is powered by an Oscillating Engine operating on vacuum from the locomotive’s braking system and, through suitable reduction gearing, can effortlessly turn the largest locomotive.

Keith had offered to drive me to Perth Airport for the next leg of my journey – by Thai to Bangkok taking about seven hours. Whilst waiting for departure, I was able to upload to ‘Flickr’ a few of the large backlog of photographs I’d amassed. Shortly after take-off, we passed over Fremantle and I spotted 'Silver Whisper', which I'd watched arriving the day before (see post), leaving the port.


Fremantle Port, with 'Silver Whisper' departing.

I managed some sleep during the flight and was through Immigration at Bangkok around midnight. I’d been booked into the ‘Novotel’ at the airport since I’d an early start on the next day. I wouldn’t normally stay at an airport hotel but the timings of my connections made it the best chance to get some sleep in a ‘real’ bed. I managed to find the Pick-up Point for the hotel’s shuttle bus and was quickly transferred to the hotel. They located my booking and I was soon in the lift going up to the fifth floor. I found my well-appointed room and quickly prepared for bed. The bedrooms were in four blocks forming a square where the covered ‘courtyard’ in the middle formed an impressive hotel lobby. Half the rooms (including mine) overlooked this ‘courtyard’, the other half face outward. The Novotel at Bangkok claims to be “the fifth most popular airport hotel in the world” but it all seemed too impersonal for my taste.


View of the Atrium from my bedroom at the Novotel, Bangkok Airport.

My pictures

Williton Dog Walking Area.
Keith Watson, Engineer.
Perth Airport, Western Australia.
Novotel, Bangkok Airport.

[Revised 5-Mar-2013: Link to 'The Oscillating Cylinder Engine' added 25-Oct-2015]